The Authentication of Hadith

Muslim scholars deserve appreciation for their invaluable contribution toward preserving the hadith literature’s authenticity. However, much more needs to be done to further strengthen its authenticity. Such great hadith authorities as Malik ibn Anas (d. 179 AH), Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 241 AH), al-Da...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:
Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor principal: Israr Ahmad Khan
Formato: article
Lenguaje:EN
Publicado: International Institute of Islamic Thought 2007
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://doaj.org/article/05a466b0bef64efeb8c76b9be0ecdfde
Etiquetas: Agregar Etiqueta
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
Descripción
Sumario:Muslim scholars deserve appreciation for their invaluable contribution toward preserving the hadith literature’s authenticity. However, much more needs to be done to further strengthen its authenticity. Such great hadith authorities as Malik ibn Anas (d. 179 AH), Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 241 AH), al-Darimi (d. 255 AH), al-Bukhari (d. 256 AH), Muslim (d. 261 AH), Ibn Majah (d. 273 AH), Abu Da’ud (d. 275 AH), al-Tirmidhi (d. 279 AH), al-Nasa’I (d. 303 AH), al-Darqutni (d. 385 AH), and al-Bayhaqi (d. 457 AH) did their best to identify original, authentic, and valid versions of the hadiths, mainly through verifying the chain of narrators (sanad). However, they did not check the text (matn) with the same zeal. This remains the case today, even to the extent that scrutinizing the text scrutiny is considered forbidden. While further verification of hadiths is still needed, this “closed door” toward verifying the text’s validity must be opened. The present article represents an attempt to redefine the criteria for checking the texts and then applying these criteria to certain selected hadiths recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.